The present invention relates to a leveler, and more particularly to a leveler for upright panel systems such as those used in connection with office furniture systems.
Upright office panels are commonly used to divide a larger office spaces into a series of smaller, usable spaces, such as offices, meeting rooms and corridors. Due to inconsistencies and undulations in flooring, these office panels may be provided with a degree of adjustment to keep the panels plumb, especially when the panels are arranged in an elongated straight line.
One adjustment option that is known in the prior art is the threaded glide. As depicted in FIG. 1, in this design, the panel (not shown) is supported by one or more vertical uprights 100, which extends upwardly from a generally horizontal foot 102. A pair of threaded glides 103, 104 extend between the floor 105 and opposite ends of the foot 102. In order to account for the uneven height of the floor surface 105, the glides 103, 104 may be independently adjusted by threading the glides into or out of the foot to vary the distance between the head 106 of the glide 103, 104 and the foot 102. For example, FIG. 1 shows a situation where the glide 104 is threaded into the foot 102 a lesser amount than glide 103 to increase the distance between the head 106 of glide 104 and the foot 102 to account for the uneven surface of the floor 105 and generally maintain the verticality of the upright 100. A downside of this construction is the need for a relatively significant minimum thickness/height of the foot 102 in order to accommodate the threaded glide. In general, enough thickness for at least three threads of the glide 103, 104 are needed in order to provide sufficient adjustability. This thickness can be unsightly, a trip hazard, and can interfere with the positioning of adjacent structures such as desks and storage.